On the First Day Of Christmas, Percy Gave to Me
by Athenasisters
Summary: The Twelve Days of Christmas, Percabeth style. A series of twelve one-shots with no particular connection going with the song 12 Days of Christmas. WARNING: MARK OF ATHENA SPOILERS! Fluffly. Percabeth. Rated T for now to be safe... I might lower it later.
1. A partridge in a pear tree

**And let the Christmas fanfics commence. Don't forget to review and make my day splendid!  
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_**On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… A partridge in a pear tree.**_

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**Percy**

He snuck up behind Annabeth, covering her eyes with one of his hands and wrapping the other arm around her to keep her from stabbing him.

"Guess who?" he asked, teasingly.

"Gee, I wonder," she replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. "It couldn't possibly be the seaweed brained creature that I call my boyfriend, could it? Seriously Percy, I'm in the middle of training and you think it's a good idea to sneak up on me?"

He laughed, "You wouldn't stab me, Wise Girl. Besides, I'm too fast for you."

"Keep telling yourself that," she retorted, eyes narrowed but gleaming nonetheless.

"Of course, I don't plan on lying to myself. Come on, I have something to show you!"

With that, he took her hand and pulled her out of the arena.

Butterflies flittered in his stomach as he led her around the cabins, past the arts and crafts pavilion, and to Half-Blood hill. He didn't even know that Annabeth celebrated Christmas until a week ago, and ever since he had been freaking out, trying to think of a perfect present for her. He wanted to make it something cute and cheesy, but not too predictable and standard.

If he had been sane or normal, he would have just gotten her some architecture book or an owl necklace. Fortunately or not, Percy was only half-sane, and certainly not normal, so he went the hard way to find the perfect gift. Now, on December twenty-third, all his hard work would hopefully pay off.

"Percy, where are we _going_?" Annabeth demanded, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He shot her a coy smile, but decided not to answer her question. If he gave even a slight hint, she would wheedle the whole surprise out of him and everything would go to waste. After all, what's a present without suspense?

A twinge of doubt seized Percy's mind, causing him to flinch mentally. Christmas wasn't for two days, what if she laughed at him? He had tried to figure out some way to get the present to his mother's house, where they would be going tomorrow morning, but no idea came. It was nearly impossible to get something like _that_ from Long Island to Manhattan without some serious money, and Percy didn't have anything like that. Actually, it was only by sheer luck that he had been able to get her the present at all.

"Percy?" his girlfriend was asking, puzzled. He realized that he had stopped walking, and was standing awkwardly near the Big House with a weird grin on his face.

"Sorry Annabeth," he said, "I was just thinking."

"Well there's a shocker. Percy Seaweed Brain Jackson, actually thinking. It must be a Christmas miracle!"

He shoved her lightly, "Oh shut up. I'm not _that_ dumb!"

"'Course you aren't," she laughed. "Anyways, where were we going? You never said, before."

"And I'm not going to! It'll ruin the surprise."

"Percy, I thought you said the gods were done dragging us away on quests! After Tartarus…"

He stiffened up automatically at the mention of that hellhole they'd been stuck in for seven days. It still gave him nightmares and every shadow seemed menacing. Annabeth knew this; she was suffering from it too, so why would she say something like that? Suddenly, the day didn't seem so cheerful any more. It was as if someone had cast a grey blanket over it, sucking out any happiness or frivolity that may have occurred due to the holiday season.

Something in Annabeth's eyes softened, and she reached out for him with a tender hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it. Come on Perce, what were you going to show me?"

There was a note of tenderness in her voice that he knew she reserved specifically for scared younger demigods that were new at camp, and for moments like these, when he was terrified to wit's end. It was that, her voice, which got him to snap out of it.

"It's okay, come on," he said shakily, his voice sounding dull. Immediately, he regretted it. Her expression went to one of emotional pain. Dejectedly, they strode up the hill to the small tree hiding in the shade of Thalia's large pine. The dragon Peleus was curled up around the trunk of the evergreen, the baby tree nestled snugly up against his stomach, strategically placed on the warm grounds of the camp.

Beside him, Annabeth let out a little chuckle. "What is _that_?" she asked. "Did some stray delivery man get the wrong address again?"

Percy felt himself flush in embarrassment. He should have known she would take it as a joke… "Actually," he mumbled, "That's what I was going to show you. Merry early Christmas, Wise Girl."

Then, thank the gods for the perfect timing, the small brown and red bird peeked his head out and a chirp emitted from its beak.

A confused smirk flickered across Annabeth's face, followed by surprise, and finished with a goofy expression of gratification. "A partridge in a pear tree? Gods, Seaweed Brain, you're so cheesy!" she laughed, wrapping an arm around him in a one-armed hug.

He grinned, "Cheesy was exactly what I was going for. Sorry that it's a little early, I couldn't figure out a way to get it to my mom's apartment for Christmas."

"I don't mind," she grinned, "it's perfect. Just one problem, though. How in Hades did you pay for this?"

He felt himself blush again, awkwardly, "I kind of won it… On the radio."

Her features turned into amusement, as she leaned up and kissed him.

When they pulled away, the blissful grin on Percy's face was bigger than ever. "Merry Christmas, Annabeth."


	2. Two turtle doves

_****_**Second day. It vaguely ties into the first one... Ish. It will tie in HUGELY to day five, though ;) Review please? :P  
Disclaimer: Me no own nothing.  
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_**On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Two turtle doves.**_

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**Percy**

He had to say, he was excited. It was one day before the Winter Solstice and Percy was taking Annabeth out on a date. There was no impending deadline to stress over, but not for the first time. It had been five years since the war against Gaea. He and Annabeth were finally capable of lasting whole days without suffering through a meltdown. Chiron called is post-traumatic stress disorder, but Percy preferred aftershock. That's what it was, after all. The nightmares leftover from Tartarus, mixed in with the relief that both he and Annabeth had made it out alive, was overwhelming. Sometimes it would overrun their minds and they'd stare off into space, unresponsive, living out days of torture in mere minutes. At night, they were both subjected to dreams that were worse than the ugliest of nightmares. Dreams of carnage, torment, and heartbreak that would have driven some mad.

However, there was no stress involved. Outside of these little moments of agony, they lived their lives perfectly normal, savoring in the relief of being free of the endless black abyss. Most of this time was spent together on little dates like the one he was going on now.

He walked to the little café he and Annabeth had decided upon for tonight, lightheartedly. It was about five blocks from his mother's apartment, so he got there within fifteen minutes, leaving an extra ten to think about life and whatnot.

Annabeth slid into his little booth, interrupting his contemplations. "Hey Seaweed Brain," she grinned.

"Hi Wise Girl, how's your day been? School going alright?" he responded. Annabeth was in her senior year of college, a year behind Percy, since it had taken her longer to get back on her feet after the war. He meant that literally; Annabeth's whole leg had been shattered, requiring her to use a wheelchair for months.

"Pretty good, my report on the structural support of the Hoover Dam was due today. The professor was impressed that I was one of the few people to have it all ready and laid out without any last minute hustle."

"How do you think you did? I mean, it's _you_, but you never know," he added hastily.

"It's the _Hoover Dam_, Seaweed Brain; one of my favorite monuments ever. Of course, I think I did great. Hades, it was less like an assignment and more like a fun project, to me."

He chuckled and took her hand across the table, "You would say that, I guess."

She stuck her tongue out and probably would have said more, but just then, the waitress came to take their order. Percy got pizza, while Annabeth ordered a Caesar Salad. The lady (her nametag read Ana) left, resulting in the young couple staring awkwardly at each other, unsure of what else to say.

This didn't last long, for just then two grey birds with tan wings and a zebra striped throat flew in through a window in the back, causing several people to scream in surprise. Percy's hand went instantly for Riptide, but Annabeth laughed.

He cast her a confused look, "Why are you laughing?"

"Those aren't monsters Percy," she snorted. "Don't kill them; you might make one of the goddesses that actually _likes_ us mad."

"What are they then?" he asked, letting his hand drop idly.

"Doves. Turtledoves to be exact. Remember when you got me that pear tree for Christmas? Two turtledoves is the next gift from it. Aphrodite is either trying to 'help' us out, or these are random strays that coincidentally happen to be here."

"Oh," Percy muttered, blushing.

The doves swooped down upon them suddenly; one of them landing daintily on the back of the seat by Annabeth, while the other resided on the table in front of Percy. Luckily, there was no one in the booths behind either of them, or the birds would have been attacked immediately and sent back out into the night. Before that could happen, Percy wanted to take the little note from the leg of the one in front of him. He was curious to know what the goddess of love had to tell them that was so vitally important right now.

The creature must have read his thoughts, for it stuck out its leg dramatically, allowing him to untie the small scroll. Then, it flew off merrily, leaving Percy pondering how old fashioned its master was, to use such a cliché mode of communication.

"Well? Open it, Perce," Annabeth said, smirking at him. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she leaned closer, as if it would help her read through the parchment.

"Oh, right," he mumbled, fumbling with the frilly ribbon that was tying the scroll together.

_"Dearest Perseus and Annabeth,_

_ It is such a thrill to see your relationship thriving so magnificently! You two are such wonderful role models for what a perfect couple should look like; it is a delight to see you grow stronger and closer each and every day. I know, you're asking yourselves why I have written you this letter only to tell you what has been implied. Well, your mother and father have"_

"Sorry it took so long! Those horrid birds, just barging in here and throwing everyone into a frenzy, got us all jumbled up. Here's your food, enjoy!" piped their waitress, Ana, cutting Percy off mid-letter.

Annabeth shot him a sort of pleasantly puzzled smile, then dug into her salad, evading any further attempt at conversation. Reluctantly, Percy followed her lead, taking a large bite out of his pizza.

"Should I finish reading the letter?" he asked once they both finished.

"Yeah, might as well," she responded.

_"Your mother and father have asked me to inform you that if you aspire to pursue the next step in your relationship and get married, they approve. Hera has promised to not make anything go badly, with myself and four other gods as witness. It is purely your decision, but know that they stand by it._

_ Love always, Aphrodite."_

Percy looked up at Annabeth as he finished the note, and noticed that she was blushing as much as him.

"Well, this is awkward," he muttered.

"Leave it to two Turtle Doves to change around a whole evening," Annabeth agreed.

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**Anon...  
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**OtakusRule- Thanks! Thanks for reviewing too :D  
**


	3. Three French Hens

_****_**Sorry this is late! I've been uber busy this week... Gah. Now I'll end up finishing on the 25 instead of the 24, but oh well. Sorry, still! Enjoy the chapter! It's set between Last Olympian and Lost Hero. The night Percy disappeared. I enjoy reviews! ;)  
Disclaimer: Me no own anything.  
**

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_**On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Three French hens.**_

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**Percy**

It was just before his school's Winter break, and Percy had just gotten to Camp Half-Blood. He and Annabeth had decided to spend that last leisure week in Camp, since semester finals were always two weeks before the holidays and they wouldn't be learning anything new until January.

Percy had to say, he was perfectly content. School was going well for him – he was on his third year at Goode – with very few monster attacks. In fact, since the Titan War, there had only been one small incident with an _empousa_ in an alley near his house, but that was another story entirely.

Anyways, he and Annabeth had dropped off their duffel bags in their respective cabins, before heading out to the strawberry fields. Their plan was to just hangout and walk around until dinner, maybe hangout by the canoe lake for a while.

That was until the chickens showed up. Percy didn't even think Camp _had_ chickens, outside of the harpies. When one came up to him and started pecking at his leg, he jumped about a foot in the air while Annabeth stood there laughing her head off.

"Since when do we have chickens?" he asked, incredulous.

"They aren't chickens, they're hens," she replied. "And we don't have any. These three must have snuck past the borders somehow. I don't even know if the borders are able to keep out animals, anyways."

"So what should we do about them? Do hens eat strawberries?"

"They do; actually, they go crazy for them. I don't know what we can do about it, though. They aren't easy to catch, and it's even harder to restrain them. I think we'll just have to let them roam around for a while, until they fly off on their own."

"Mr. D. is going to turn me into a porpoise for ruining his plants… But if you're sure that it's really all we can do, I guess we have no choice."

"He won't blame you for something like this. Besides, Mr. D. isn't even here. Zeus has called all gods back to Olympus early for their meeting, according to Chiron."

As much of a relief as that was, Percy could not shake away his slight feeling of unease. Their camp "director" was always threatening to turn Percy into a sea mammal, and he had no doubt that he would do it, one day. Allowing farm animals to devour his precious strawberries was certainly bad enough in Dionysus's eyes to merit a huge punishment.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain, let's go down to the lake," Annabeth urged, taking his hand and pulling him along. He complied gladly.

By the time they got there, the incident with the hens was in the back of Percy's mind. Laughing, he dragged Annabeth to the edge of the dock and sat down. She sat next to him, and they stayed there for a moment, Percy's arm draped over her shoulder. The sun was going down, sparkling fiery red and gold across the water.

After a moment's consideration, Percy succumbed to his temptation and shoved Annabeth forward. She barely had time to gasp before she fell in the water with a splash.

A second later, she came back up, sopping wet and glaring. Percy was cracking up, though. It had just been such a perfect moment, and despite their recent status of 'dating', Annabeth was still his best friend.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"Oh, just a muscle spasm, I guess. I don't know what came over me," he chuckled.

Her glare intensified, which he hadn't thought was possible, and in a moment he found himself in the lake beside her. The only difference was that he could use his powers to keep himself dry, while she could not.

Underneath the blanket of the water, he pecked her lightly on the lips before climbing back onto the dock, grinning. She followed just behind him, but her expression was full of annoyance instead of humor.

The second Percy got back on the dock, a sharp cluck followed by a stabbing pain in his thigh caused him to groan in irritation. The stupid hens were back!

"Wise Girl, are you sure there's nothing we can do about them?" he whined.

Most of her exasperated look was gone as she grinned wryly at him. "Positive. We would only cause more damage. Besides, they seem to like you!"

"Yeah, well they're starting to annoy me too. Why do they have to follow us? I liked it better thinking that we left them behind in the strawberry field."

"Like I said, they'll leave when they're ready. They're animals, Perce, they don't think strategically like us; they aren't out to get you.

"That's what you think," he muttered. "Come on, it's just about dinner time and you have to lead your cabin to the mess hall, don't you?"

She nodded, and they left.

After dinner, they were all sitting around the campfire. Once again, Percy had all but forgotten about the incident with the accursed birds, but to no avail. They approached him during the sing-a-long, nibbling on his frayed jeans with renewed interest. He swatted at them, but their beaks moved to his hand instead. Chiron and a few campers shot him puzzled looks from across the campfire, but said nothing. Annabeth was trying hard to stifle laughter at his futile attempts of shooing the creatures.

When nothing worked, he stood up tiredly. "I think I'm gonna go to bed now," he told Annabeth, yawning. "Want me to walk me to your cabin, or are you going to stay a little longer?"

"I'll come with you," she grinned, taking his hand.

Together, they walked away from the fire and towards her cabin, hand in hand.

At the steps to Cabin 6, Percy kissed Annabeth softly on her lips. "Goodnight, Wise Girl. See you in the morning."

"Night Percy," she smiled.

For some reason, that feeling of impending danger was weighing down Percy's chest again, making it harder to breathe. He felt as if he should never let Annabeth leave his sight; like he wouldn't see her again, but he just dismissed it as over-exhaustion as he gave her one last peck on the lips. Then, he turned and left for his own cabin, yawning along the way.

The three hens were at his door, but he simply kicked them aside. He would deal with them in the morning. Perhaps the Hephaestus kids could build the creatures a cage of some sorts.

He stepped inside the cabin wearily, flopping down on his bed. If he had had any idea what he would go through in the next six months, he would have stayed at the campfire with Annabeth longer. Hades, he would have lived in the bottom of the canoe lake with the naiads!

He didn't, though, and so he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	4. Four Calling Birds

**Just whipped this up! The harpies are the calling birds, just for clarification, and it's set JUST after Last Olympian. Enjoy and please review! Sorry this one is so short.  
****Disclaimer: Me no own.  
Note: I know it's been a few days, and I would have said this yesterday if I hadn't been so rushed, but take a moment of silence to honor those who are no longer with us due to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.**

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_**On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Four calling birds.**_

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**Percy**

How could he have been so careless?

That was all he could think as he and Annabeth raced through the night, desperately trying to outrun the screeching harpies behind them. He supposed that it wasn't _his_ fault they had been thrown into the lake, but nonetheless he had lost track of time and night had fallen. Within minutes of emerging from the canoe lake, the harpies had sniffed them out, pursuing them eagerly. Chiron and Mr. D. weren't kidding when they stressed on and on about the curfew rules, that was for sure.

"Seaweed Brain, your cabin!" Annabeth called, darting straight past her own.

He couldn't imagine why she would do that, considering it cost them an extra twenty seconds of danger, but the harpies were closing in and there was no time to argue. He followed without hesitation, forcing his legs to move faster.

Somehow, she had gotten farther than him, and was holding open his cabin door when he got there. Wordlessly, he sprinted inside as she slammed the door shut behind him. The harpies let out one last screech, before their horrible calling noises faded away. Thank the gods. They had made it, and the bird ladies had left.

Annabeth was giving him a weird, slightly flustered look from where she was standing.

"What?" he asked. "Is there something on my face?"

To his surprise, she laughed. "Gods, Percy. Sometimes I wonder if there really is seaweed mottling your thoughts. No, nothing is on your face."

"Well then why were you staring at me like that?" He was honestly confused.

"It's just been such a weird day. The war ended, Rachel became the oracle, we were thrown into a canoe lake where we stayed for a few solid hours kissing, and then harpies chased us. Ever wonder if our lives can ever be normal?"

"What kind of question is that, Wise Girl? We're demigods, for crying out loud. Of course it can't ever be normal!"

"Sometimes I wish it were. Especially when it comes to things like this," she responded.

"Things like what?"

"You know… What happened in the lake? It's not exactly normal to be kissing your boyfriend ten feet underwater, surrounded by a bubble of air."

He felt himself blush, and saw her doing the same. Had she called him her boyfriend? She had. Percy had had a crush on Annabeth for a long time, but she had always just been his best friend. Nothing more. He knew that she had liked Luke for a long time, and he had been jealous, but he had never really pushed her too hard on the issue. He hadn't thought she would ever like him back.

Then, she had kissed him.

Gods, she was right, even the things that should have been so simply regular were weird in his life.

"Boyfriend?" he asked at last, mentally chiding himself at how incredulous he sounded.

"Well what else do you call the person that you've been kissing?"

"Girlfriend," he grinned, knowing that this bit of smart-aleck would reward him with a glare.

He was right, of course. She glowered at him and then peeked out the tiny window by the door. "I don't see them. They must have gone back to wherever they stay. It's late; I'd better go back to my cabin now."

"Probably a good idea, but I have a question first," he said. "Why did you pass up your cabin in the first place?"

"Momentum, Seaweed Brain. It would have slowed us down if we had turned towards the door to my cabin. The harpies would have caught us, then."

"Oh, that makes sense," he muttered. Gods, she was smart. He never would have thought about that, and much less considered it while he was running for his life.

"Goodnight, Percy," she laughed, pecking him on the cheek.

"'Night, Annabeth. See you in the morning," he replied, letting the door close behind her as she left. Then, he walked over to his bunk and collapsed onto it, thoroughly exhausted. It was a good thing that Tyson had gone back with Poseidon to the sea kingdom, or else all of that would have been very embarrassing. With that thought, he fell into a sound sleep.


	5. FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!

_****_**By far, this is my favorite! Really fluffy, and sappy, and only one ring, but oh well :P Enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews on chapter four! I love em!  
Disclaimer: Me no ownio!  
**

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_**On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!**_

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**Percy**

He was incredibly nervous, as he walked hastily down the street to the same little café he and Annabeth had been in four years ago, to this day, when Aphrodite had sent him that little letter. It may not have exactly sped up the process, but it had gotten him thinking more and more about… it.

As far as Annabeth knew, they would be going on an ordinary date. The only difference was that tonight he planned on proposing to her. He should have been nervous, but truthfully, he wasn't at all. They'd had a steady relationship for ten years – nine if you don't count the one where he was missing – and he was positive that he would never love anyone else in the way that he loved her, as sappy as that sounded. He had already gone through the steps of asking her father for his permission, and buying the ring. His mother had helped him greatly, with Piper's assistance of course. Together they had settled on a slim silver ring with an engraving of "_πάντοτε"_ – _always._ It wasn't too flashy, but it was noticeable enough and had meaning that not even Sally could fathom.

He thought it was perfect, even if it had cost him three month's savings at his internship as a vet. That's right, Percy Jackson had managed to graduate college successfully after eight long years; a feat that he knew even his faithful mother had had her doubts about. He couldn't blame her. Frequently throughout those long years, he had ranted about dropping out and getting a job at a shelter or an aquarium. He was qualified for that, at least. Still, between the two of them, Annabeth and his mother had encouraged him and talked him through it, and he had stayed determined. Now he was fully qualified to care for pets of all shaped and sizes, but especially marine animals and horses.

He made a left, heading onto the street that the café was on. _One, two, three, _and he was there, just two minutes before their scheduled meeting time. Still, it was good time considering the fact that he'd expected to be five minutes late. Unfortunately, Annabeth was a punctilious person and she was already seated in a two-person booth, sipping tea. Any other twenty-six year old would be drinking coffee after a long and tedious workday, but not her. That was one of the things he loved so much about her.

"Hey Percy," she said as he sat down.

He leaned across the table and pecked her on the cheek, "Hi, how was your day?"

"No one really takes me seriously yet, since I'm so new, but its okay. The boss likes me and he listens to my ideas. Actually, being able to say that I constructed a city that is said to be 'fit for the gods' on my resume was very helpful."

He chuckled, "I bet it was. Didn't he get suspicious? I mean - go looking around for this random city you made up?"

She nodded seriously, taking another sip of her tea, "Of course he did. Malcolm and I spent a few hours making a website, a Wikipedia page, and a Google reference specifically for that reason. It was amazing that no monsters attacked us while we were working."

He nodded, grinning. It was just like Annabeth to take something like this so seriously. A few months ago, she had stumbled across an architectural firm that was hiring, and after years of working as a flooring designer, she jumped at the idea. She'd started at the beginning of the week, and now she was working six days a week, from six in the morning until seven in the evening. He could tell it exhausted her, but she took it with gracious stride, not letting the long days and the mocking co-workers get her down. At least that was what he'd come to understand by how she had described her job.

"So what're you getting?" Annabeth asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

He glanced down at the menu, immediately seeking out what he always got there. It was, after all, their usual meeting place, and he had a good idea of what he did and did not like. "Hamburger," he said automatically.

She sighed, "Of course you are. Why don't you ever try something different?"

"Because, they make _really_ good hamburgers!" he responded, the ring in his pocket burning a hole.

"I know," she responded patiently, "but they make really good other things too. Like salads, chicken, and fish."

Instinctively, he winced. "Can't have fish; it just seems wrong."

She smiled wryly, "Oh yeah, for a second I almost forgot that we were demigods. I guess you eating fish would be like me burning a book or hunting owls."

_Forget they were demigods?_ Those must have been a few very nice seconds, then. Honestly, Percy didn't really understand how the fish thing worked, but he'd never eaten so much as a tuna sandwich in his whole life.

"What are _you_ getting?" he asked, changing the subject.

She looked down, studying the menu with increased scrutiny. "The Chicken Parmesan looks good, I guess. I'm not very hungry, though."

That was no surprise to Percy, Annabeth was never as hungry as him, but she should have been hungrier than _that_ after a long workday.

"Is everything all right, Wise Girl?" he questioned, concerned.

She looked up, startled. "Yeah, of course. Why'd you ask?"

"You seem a little distracted, that's all."

"Well of course I am; it's been a long day. I'm just tired, that's all. Don't worry about it."

Before he had the chance to respond, the waitress came to take their order. By the time she left, they had moved on to a new topic. They talked about everything from Percy's internship to the holiday season, and at last, their food came. It was nearly nine by that time, so they scarfed down their food as fast as possible since they both had to be back at their respective homes by ten thirty. Annabeth's landlord was strict, and so was Sally (whom Percy was still shamelessly living with) so there was no leniency on the rule. Also, they had planned to walk around a bit before they went their separate ways for the night.

They finished by nine thirty, Percy paid the bill and left a tip, and then they headed out into the frosty December night. Snow had sprinkled the ground, casting a majestic sparkling glow. The streetlights illuminated the sidewalks, casting gold and iron shadows into the streets. The couple walked hand in hand chatting lightly about everything. Annabeth may not have known where they were going, but Percy had a definite destination in mind. At last, they got to the street. It was in one of the richer neighborhoods, where there were large manor houses. Every year, Percy knew that the residents got together and decorated their homes in the space of one day, creating a beautiful and sparkling display that depicted the whole holiday season, not just Christmas.

This had happened two days ago, and Percy had specifically postponed any dates since he'd bought the ring for this specific night. It was at the end of this street that he interrupted Annabeth in the middle of her sentence, pecked her lightly on the lips, and got down on one knee. He noticed with pleasure the way that her eyes lit up with delight, even though she kept a posture of cool calm. The sight of her, being so perfectly _Annabeth_ almost made him lose his cool, but he knew that he couldn't take it all back now. Fumbling, he wrestled the small blue box with the grey owl design out of his pocket, gazing up at her hopefully. He could practically see her laughing at him, taking it all as a joke, and completely shattering everything.

He shook that thought away, opening the box. "A-Annabeth Chase, I've loved you for the last fourteen years and I know they say that's how long it should take to be sure of something like this but I've always loved you. It took a while for it to go from friendship to romance, but I know that I've thought a lot about this and how to make it perfect and I even asked your dad's permission. You're wonderful and smart and funny and amazing. I completely botched everything I was going to say, but I love you, Wise Girl. Will you marry me?"

She had not moved the whole time he had spoken, simply gazing down at him with barely contained amusement. "Stand up, Seaweed Brain," she said at last.

Terrified, he complied shakily.

"Percy Jackson, I don't even know why you have to ask something like this. Hades, you could have slid a paper ring across the table to me at dinner without all the stress and I would have worn it proudly, but I'm touched that you went to all this trouble for me. I love you too, Seaweed Brain, of course I'll marry you."

Then, she kissed him with such a force that he stumbled back in shock, before fully kissing her back, practically laughing in relief.

He had a feeling that this would be the best Christmas yet.


	6. Six maid's a-milking

_****_**Whipped this up so fast, Im not even sure what it is... sorry :3 Enjoy, nonetheless, I hope! Not sure how it ties into the song, but oh well.  
Disclaimer: Me No Own.  
**

* * *

_**On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Six maid's a-milking.**_

**Percy**

Had he known what it would be like to have not one, but two hormonal woman with three squealing babies in the same house with him, he never would have signed up for it. Or maybe he would have, he really wasn't sure. The twins and Annabeth were Percy's whole life now, Piper and Jason just so happened to be sharing it with their own kid. After the war, Annabeth's weird friendship with the daughter of Aphrodite had strengthened, at the same time Percy and Jason's had. Now, the four adult demigods were so close that they shared a small two-story home.

Now, it was looking like things were going to be a little more difficult. Aubrey and Cordelia – the twins – were both eighteen months old, while Emery was a year. It had been what Leo called "the baby stampede" in the last year. Hazel had just given birth to her first child last month, and both Piper and Annabeth were pregnant again.

Needless to say, Jason and Percy had to be very careful what they said, when they said it, and how it was voiced, at all times in order to avoid a massive explosion. The girls were like ticking time bombs, and having to take care of their other children on top of it was certainly not helping, no matter how much the babies were loved. The boys tried to help out as much as possible, a very difficult feat considering their jobs.

Speaking of jobs, Annabeth was currently stressing over her missing time at the architectural firm. She had been promoted only two weeks ago, but ever since, she had been missing days for doctor's appointments, ultrasounds, and once when Aubrey had a cold. Usually, "Uncle" Leo or Piper would watch the kids while the rest of them were off working, but Piper's job as a night nurse occasionally got her called in hours before the long workday was over, and Leo had odd jobs as an able handy man from time to time.

"Percy, have you heard anything I've said in the last five minutes?"

It was Annabeth, glaring at him with her arms crossed over her slightly bulging stomach. His immediate thought was to apologize hastily, compliment her on something, and start actually paying attention, but there was no need. Annabeth had already moved on with what she'd been suggesting.

"I s_aid_ that I think this should be our last kid. I mean, I love the twins, and I'm super excited for this new baby, but it's difficult and not particularly easy to have them. Already we have to get your mom and Leo to babysit while we're at work, and it's not really easy considering they both live in completely separate towns that aren't very close."

"It's up to you, Wise Girl. You're the one going through all the steps. I just watch and wait," Percy said evenly, secretly being glad for her proposition. He didn't think he could live through another nine months of hormones without Annabeth charring him to a crisp. Woman could be so moody sometimes, even if she usually didn't show it.

"I think I'm done," she sighed. "But that just leaves one question. Which one of us is getting the surgery? I mean, it'd be safer if you did it, but we can talk about it."

He had no idea what she meant by that, but he didn't want her to be in any more pain than necessary. "Don't worry about it, I'll do it," he said.

Her eyes lit up, and a small grin traced its way across her lips. "Thanks, Perce."

"Anytime Wise Girl," he smiled.

"Hey, where are Pipes and Jason?" she asked, glancing around her. Down the hall, Percy heard Cordelia start to cry, and he winced inwardly. Between her and her sister, she was certainly the louder one. Aubrey hardly ever cried.

"I don't know, but I'll go check on 'Lia, okay? Try to get some sleep, it's almost eleven."

"Thanks," she said, then wandered down the hall to the small bedroom they shared. Percy knew that soon they would have to move out and get a bigger house, but between the two of them, they had agreed on staying for at least another two weeks, through Christmas. After that, they would see how much money they had saved up and perhaps buy a larger apartment closer to his mother and Paul.

Camp was closer then, too. They hadn't been attacked in years, partly due to Leo's discovery of how to mute the stench of demigod, but that did not mean it couldn't happen. It would be good for them to have a backup place to stay if anything did happen.

After all, family was the most important thing, and Percy would do anything to keep his safe.

He opened the door quietly, seeing as Cordelia had stopped whining and was now just squirming uncomfortably in her sleep, and gazed down at his two daughters. Both of them had very dark brown hair, with intelligent stormy eyes that were tinted with green. He couldn't see the brilliant color of them now, but he could picture it if he concentrated. Could almost see them open and staring at him with scrutiny. He reached down, allowing Aubrey to wrap her tiny fingers around one of his, and smiled. These two innocent girls were his life now, and he fully planned to live long enough to see not only this Christmas, but every one after that, as long as he could.

Christmas had always been important to Percy, but now it was more than just presents. Now it was about his family.


	7. Seven swans a-swimming

_****_**Okay, so I realized that I screwed up the song last chapter. Therefore, days six and eight are switched! Also, I apologize for my train of thought with chapter six.. No excuse except that I had no idea where I was going with it and it'd been a long day. Thanks for the reviews anyways! Enjoy chapter seven, I hope! It actually goes with the song, a bit.  
Disclaimer: Me no ownio  
Dedication: The Goddess of Myths and Rosalia 13 for reviewing all my chapters :3  
**

* * *

_**On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Seven swans a-swimming**_

* * *

**Percy**

Percy always associated swans with fairy tales and dainty little towns out west. He didn't think he would ever or had ever seen one, but sure enough, here he was with Annabeth in Central Park, watching of the seven graceful birds splashing around in one of the fountains. Snow was drifting down around them, coating the ground like a sparkling white carpet. Groups of dryads were having a snowball fight a few yards away, completely invisible to the mortals. Add that to the buildings towering in the distance and the lights of the fountains and streetlamps turning on as the sun went down; it was almost magical. Annabeth was leaning on his shoulder, and they were just enjoying the moment, but of course, everything had to go wrong right then. That was how things always were in his life, after all.

The swans circled around the fountain one last time, but their leisurely paddle was all gone. It seemed like they were trying to turn into motor boats, with their webbed feet splashing up water so quickly. Then, all at once, they flew up out of the little pool and into the air, their bodies elongating into thick hides, their necks and faces morphing to be those of a dragon.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Percy yelped, leaping to his feet and dragging Riptide out of his pocket. There were few dragons mentioned by name in Greek mythology. He should have known that his luck would drag him into a situation like this.

Annabeth was already standing beside him; her dagger pulled from its hiding spot in one of her snow boots. The monsters weren't completely stupid, and they were already starting to circle around them. Instinctively, he and Annabeth moved to stand back to back, rotating slightly so that none of the dragons could take them by surprise.

"What are they?" he called back to her.

"I have no idea! Just dragons, I think," she replied, slicing at one of the creatures who had tried to attack, thinking she was distracted.

Her blade went straight through the monster's neck, and with a horrible scream, it disintegrated. Percy almost winced in sympathy. He'd learned long ago that no matter how distracted Annabeth may seem, you should never underestimate her. It would only lead to your own injury, and she knew how to injure people very well.

Then, he was snapped out of his ghost of pity. The second dragon lunged straight at him, then flew directly up as Percy tried striking a blow with Riptide. Fortunately, the beast was slow, so once Percy regained his balance he was able to stab it through the stomach from below with only a small jump. Unfortunately, Riptide stuck, and was buried under the monster as it gradually turned to dust. This left him undefended, and the last three dragons noticed this. Abandoning all thoughts of Annabeth, they turned on him.

_Well this is a dumb way to die,_ he thought, bracing himself for the impact.

It never came. He looked up, and was shocked to see that the dragons were all either dead or dying. Annabeth had killed one and wounded another, while thick branches that had wrapped around the third formed a claustrophobic cage. He patted his pocket, but his sword still hadn't returned.

"You okay, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth called as she finished off the wounded dragon.

"Fine, thanks," he said, staring as the branches encasing the final monster tightened, suffocating it. In one large _pop_, it exploded into a shower of fine golden dust.

Ironically, just as that happened, he felt a familiar weight in his pocket that indicated his sword's return. Sighing, he went over and wrapped his arms around Annabeth, hugging her close.

"That was eventful," she muttered, wiping her blade on her cardigan before slipping it back into her boot.

Percy let out a small chuckle, "You can say that again. I'm never going to trust a swan again. Seriously, since when do monsters pose as animals? Outside of the Chimera, I mean."

"They do it a lot, but usually they don't pick something so… Gentile."

"Oh well, it's a good thing that we had our weapons on us. We're alive and that means my mom won't kill me," he said, checking his watch. Four fifty – schist, "Or at least… She won't if I manage to get back to my house in ten minutes! Come on, Wise Girl!" he added, grabbing her hand and pulling her after him down the pathway towards the street. She ran after him, laughing.

There were worse ways to spend the day.

* * *

**Anons (for all chapters, really):  
Rosalia 13- Thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm glad you like the story so much, and I'm flattered that you like my writing style! Hope you keep reading! Take care :)**

**Kurlycrazykat- Thanks for the review! Glad you like it! Nice name, too. Very funtabulous!**


	8. Eight geese a-laying

**Hah... Say hello to the short and OOC chapter eight! This was meant to be day six, but I switched them on accident. Sorry it's late, my dad stole the computer yesterday and hid it in his room when he went to sleep. Enjoy, I hope! Thanks for the continued reviews, they make me smile :)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or the series, or anything but my brain, really.  
**

* * *

_**On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Eight geese a-laying.**_

**Percy**

Percy really hated geese. They stunk, they pooped, and they were vicious. Every year, he dreaded walking through Central Park because he knew the ground would be littered with discolored feces. Each November, he deliberately wore hats to avoid being hit, and he steered clear of ponds, just in case.

Therefore, when he found himself walking through the New York Botanical Garden with Annabeth on the last Saturday of November, he couldn't help but be tense.

"You okay, Percy? You've been acting weird since we got here. You haven't seen any monsters, have you?" Annabeth inquired.

Silently, Percy cursed himself. It was dumb to be so worked up over some harmless birds and he should have known that Annabeth would notice.

"Nothing's wrong. You want to go to the next garden?" he responded.

"Don't lie, you've been tense."

"Well uh… Okay, it's nothing that bad, but it's embarrassing. I don't like geese very much. They make me nervous; they're so mean and disgusting," he said quickly, feeling himself blush.

Annabeth laughed, "Geese? Gods Seaweed Brain, why didn't you just tell me in the first place? We didn't have to come. I mean, we could have just stayed at your place and watched some corny movies."

"I guess," he mumbled, "I don't know. We're here now, might as well enjoy it, and look around. It's a _date_, Wise Girl; we're supposed to be having fun, right?"

"Just let me know if you want to leave," she replied, smirking. He guessed that it was probably very amusing to her that he had such a weird weakness. After all, what were a few birds compared to an army of monsters?

"Come on, let's go look at some roses," he said bitterly. Leave it to those few birds to ruin a perfectly good and normal day. Wait, he took that back, there wasn't anything particularly normal about two demigods meandering through an overlarge garden, looking at flowers. Nonetheless, while it may not have been his idea of fun, Annabeth needed to do research on flowers for her end of the semester essay in biology, and she had thought it would be a good idea to see more than just the native flowers. He would have done anything to not only keep her happy, but to prevent her from holing up in her room with Daedalus' laptop. It was much better to be around her and talk. Taking her hand once more, he dragged her along behind him towards the rose garden.


	9. Nine drummers drumming

**So far behind... I'm sorry! You shall be getting four chapters in between now and Tuesday night, my time. One down, three to go! Whaha. Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: Me no ownio nothing... Though that may change, depending on if Santa got my letter asking for the rights to PJO/HoO.  
**

* * *

_**On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Nine drummers drumming.**_

* * *

**Percy**

The Little Drummer Boy had been his mom's favorite Christmas movie for as long as he could remember, so it was no surprise when she was watching it on Christmas Eve when he and Annabeth got there. They'd spent Friday through Sunday at Camp, but Sally had insisted they come over to help make the Christmas cookies – blue of course – and to watch some corny holiday movies before going to sleep. That way, she'd said, they could just open up presents right when they woke up. After all, Percy hadn't yet moved out, nor was she ready for him to, and so he would just have to 'deal' with spending the holiday with his family.

"_Little Baby  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
I am a poor boy too,  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
I have no gift to bring  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
That's fit to give our King  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
Rum pum pum pum  
Rum pum pum pum  
Shall I play for you!  
Pa rum pum pum  
On my drum."_

The Television chimed from across the apartment. Smiling, Percy hung up his and Annabeth's coats before going into the little living room. His mother was leaning into Paul, completely indulged in the movie. Some things never changed, and this was one of them.

"Hey Mom," Percy said, clearing his throat.

Sally turned around, leapt to her feet, and pulled him in for a hug, all in one swift movement. "I thought you weren't coming home until later tonight!" she exclaimed. "It's only four o'clock, you know."

Chuckling, he hugged her back, "I know, but I missed you. Besides, Argus is really busy today, shipping a lot of the campers out of camp for the holiday, and this was when he could fit us in. Either that, or midnight, but I thought that would be just a bit too late."

"Hi, Mrs. Jackson," Annabeth said, smiling.

"Annabeth! Hi sweetie, how have you been?" Sally asked, releasing Percy to pull her into her arms instead.

"Things are going pretty good, thanks. What about you?" Annabeth replied.

"The holiday season is always my favorite; I'm fantastic."

"_Mary nodded  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
The ox and lamb kept time  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
I played my drum for Him  
Pa rum pum pum  
I played my best for Him  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
Rum pum pum pum  
Rum pum pum pum  
Then He smiled at me  
Pa rum pum pum pum  
Me and my drum."_

The movie sang in the background. Paul, who was now standing beside his wife, strode over and changed it to a station strictly for Christmas music.

"Who's ready to make cookies?" he then asked, cheerfully. For a moment, Percy could almost imagine the four of them as one of those cheesy families in the old movies; all cheerful, making cookies and singing corny holiday tunes.

"Let me just get the ingredients out, honey. Then, we can start," Sally declared, ruffling Percy's hair affectionately before heading into the tiny kitchen. Three minutes later, she announced that they could officially start baking now, and so the three of them bustled into the tiny room, crowding together over the counter space.

Sprawled across the slab of cheap granite that the Jackson's had deemed a 'counter' was an electric mixer, flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter, sugar, an egg, a bottle of vanilla, and of course, blue food coloring. On the table lay two cookie sheets, a wooden roller, and a few holiday themed cookie cutters. In other words, it looked exactly like Christmas Eve to Percy.

"Percy honey, turn our oven to three-hundred-and-fifty degrees, okay? Paul, mix five-and-a-half cups of flour with two teaspoons baking soda and one teaspoon of baking powder. Wait, never mind. Annabeth, you should do that, you won't mix up the word 'soda' with the word 'powder'. If you forget, the recipe is on the table by the cookie sheet," Sally ordered, and immediately they all scrambled to obey.

Instantly, the tiny kitchen turned to chaos.

_"Ow! Seaweed Brain, you stepped on my foot."_

_ "Paul sweetie, not so much sugar."_

_ "Mom, is this a three or a two in the hundreds place?"_

_ "Mrs. Jackson, where did the metal whisk go? It used to be by the oven, but now it's gone!"_

_ "Annabeth, call me Sally. It should be by the-"_

_ "Ow! Paul, you elbowed me!"_

_ "Sorry Perce."_

_ "-the microwave. I think it's by the microwave."_

After a dozen long minutes of this mayhem, they got everything sorted out. Percy and Annabeth went to sit at the table while Sally added the blue food coloring and Paul stirred. At last, they got the dough onto the table, rolled it out, and were ready to cut it. Percy immediately stole the snowman cutter, so Annabeth took the snowflake. Smirking, Paul picked up the Santa Claus, leaving Sally with a mitten and a reindeer.

Once they all cut a wide assortment of multi-shaped cookies, they put them onto the cookie sheets, popped them into the oven, and set the timer for eight minutes. When the oven beeped, Sally quickly swapped out the first tray for the second, then moved all of the sugar cookies onto the cooling rack, where they would stay for five minutes, until they were ready for decorating.

No matter how much he grew, Percy realized, Christmas Eve would always be about blue cookies, The Little Drummer Boy, and family.

"_Pa rum pum pum pum" _he hummed.


	10. Ten fiddlers fiddling

_****_**Merry Christmas to those of you who live in a place where it's already the 25! Happy Christmas Eve to the rest! And Happy Holidays to anyone who celebrates something else. Enjoy the chapter, I hope! I'll either have another posted tonight and one tomorrow, or one each day for the next two days, depending on if I get the chance to type.  
**

**Disclaimer: Me no own anything.  
**

**Note: To those of you who said I messed up again yesterday, I didn't. There's multiple versions of this song, and from the one I'm using the last few days go 'drummers, fiddlers, ladies dancing, lords leaping'.  
**

* * *

_**On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Ten fiddlers fiddling.**_

* * *

**Percy**

Flowers? Check. Reservations? Check. Text sent to Annabeth, making sure she was still meeting him? Check. On time? Check.

It was Percy and Annabeth's one year anniversary after being married, and despite her rejections, he was determined to make it a good one. He'd called in reservations at a local Italian restaurant that he knew she loved, with the help of his mother. Piper had helped him get a 'proper' bouquet of Annabeth's favorite flowers, and had also helped him find a nice but inexpensive gift. It was a little over-done, he knew, but he also had a feeling that under her rebuttals, she would be proud of him for putting in such an effort.

Therefore, when she came up to him, looking both beautiful and furious in a knee-length black skirt, a navy blue and silver striped sweater, and a livid expression, he merely smiled and stood to greet her.

"Hey Annabeth, you look nice," he stated, opening the door to the restaurant for her.

"Yeah Seaweed Brain, you too," she scowled, glaring at him.

"Well, let's not stand out here glowering. Come inside, our reservation was set for five minutes ago."

"_Percy_, why couldn't you just have this be simple? I told you we didn't have to do anything big or fancy, it's just a one-year anniversary. Save the romantics for twenty-five or fifty."

"That's the thing, Wise Girl, we don't know if we'll live to twenty-five or fifty. We're not like mortal couples. They worry about divorce, but we wouldn't do something like that. All we have to be concerned about is our life span and living to the most of it. I want to make each and every one of our anniversaries as special as possible."

"Perce… It would be just as special in our apartment, eating pizza and watching the Disney version of Hercules. Special doesn't have to be expensive and fancy, and you didn't need to get your mother and Pipes to help you plan this stuff. I appreciate it, and I know your intentions were good, but I'm not really one for elaborate evenings. I've never really been one for elaborate _anything_, for that matter."

Percy felt the disappointment settle in his chest, weighing down heavily on his heart. He'd known Annabeth didn't like a big show, but hadn't really thought much about it. Caught up in his fantasies, he hadn't had time to worry, though it would sneak into his thoughts occasionally.

His expression must have been pretty bad, because immediately Annabeth wrapped her arms around him. "Come on Seaweed Brain, let's go inside. Don't want to put all your hard work to waste, right? Besides, Piper didn't practically force me into this outfit just to go back home."

"Okay," he mumbled as she passed him.

Inside, the music was not what he'd expected from a more sophisticated restaurant. It was folk, played on what sounded like a string instrument. He supposed it was probably a fiddle. Shrugging inwardly, he took Annabeth's hand and they went up to the maître d'.

"Reservations?" she asked, picking up a laminated list.

"Jackson," Percy stated, fiddling nervously with Annabeth's fingers. He wasn't used to handling a formal situation by himself, and since he was a kid talking to adults other than his mom, Chiron, and the gods had made him feel slightly awkward.

"Oh yes, here you are. We'll be with you in a moment," the woman said, placing the list back on her tiny counter.

"Thank you," Percy replied, pulling Annabeth along with him to sit on one of the couches.

"You've gotten better at dealing with people at restaurants," Annabeth said. "Remember when you made your mom order for you that one time, because you said the waitress looked like an empousa and you didn't want her to notice you?"

Percy grinned, "Yeah. Turns out she just had bad balance and a pretty face."

"Gods, she gave you the weirdest look ever," Annabeth laughed. "I think she thought you were deaf, after a while, because you didn't speak if she even came in sight. She started talking to you like people do when there's something different in someone – that baby voice."

"I remember," he scowled.

_ 'Jackson, party of two,'_ hummed from somewhere.

Percy stood up, holding out an arm to Annabeth. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she agreed, taking the extended arm.

Like those cutesy couples in old movies, they walked arm and arm to their table, all previous unease forgotten. The fiddle and acoustic guitar played out through the restaurant, keeping the mood light and happy.

_I did pretty good after all,_ Percy thought, astonished.

Later that night, Annabeth agreed that it hadn't been such a bad idea to do something fancy, and in the end it had been the perfect night.


	11. Eleven ladies dancing pipers piping

_****_**Merry Christmas! At least, where I live :P I hope you've all had a brilliant day! Sorry this story is running so late, I hdn't planned on my social life suddenly becoming mildly active, when I started this! Here's another short little drabble for you all :) Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: Me no own.  
Dedication: My grandpa, who has undying faith in me for some odd reason.  
**

* * *

_**On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Eleven ladies dancing/ eleven pipers piping.**_

* * *

**Percy**

Each year on the Winter solstice, the nature spirits put on a performance for one another. You could only attend if you were one of them, or if they invited you, and this year Grover had asked Percy and Annabeth to go. See, he had gotten much better at playing his wooden reed pipes, and so the dryads had asked him to join their musical ensemble. He had agreed, but he was as nervous as he was excited, so he'd invited his two friends for moral support. At least, that was what Percy had gotten out of the story, and that's why he was standing awkwardly at the edge of the clearing meant for the Council of Cloven Elders, holding Annabeth's hand and watching with interest.

All around them, naiads, dryads, satyrs, and other nymphs were dancing raucously to the lively tune if the pipes. Grover was among a group of eleven, containing two naiads, seven dryads, one pixie, and him. Percy tried to watch his best friend, but the motion of his hands moving back and forth rapidly was enough to make anyone nauseous.

"Want to dance, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked. "Or are we going to just stand here the whole time?"

"I uh… I'm not really a dancing type of guy," he responded, running a hand through his hair nervously. He wasn't even sure he knew how to dance to songs like this. Slow songs were easy, as long as you knew where to put your hands – you just had to sway. Lively folk music seemed to take a lot of complex footwork.

Annabeth stared at him expectantly. Sighing inwardly, he took her hand and they walked out onto the dance floor. Luckily for him, Annabeth seemed keen to take the lead. Still holding his hand, she maneuvered them through a series of quick and simple steps that matched the beat of the music perfectly. Astonished that he could do something so intricate even with her help, he laughed out loud. Grinning, Annabeth reversed their direction and added in a few new moves that caused him to stumble. Blushing, Percy quickly caught himself before he could fall completely. He supposed that he should have known it would happen eventually, considering his girlfriend was not only better balanced and coordinated than him, but she would also want to make sure he did not forget it, even for a minute. He guessed that it was her pride.

Thankfully, his embarrassment was short lived. The song ended, and a slower, more fluid one replaced it. It wasn't exactly ideal for sow dancing, but it was not the rapid-fire of the previous jig either, so Percy took the opportunity to take charge and lead _her _instead.

"So, this is fun," he said, trying for small talk in place of the silence between them.

"Yeah it is, thanks Perce," she replied, squeezing his hand in hers.

"Anything for you, Wise Girl. Well, you and Grover, at least. I guess we'll have to say thanks for inviting us later, in between congratulating him and reassuring him that he did great."

She laughed, "Pretty much sums up our night, huh? I'm glad he invited us, though. It's much more exciting than visiting Olympus and listening to our parents arguing amongst each other. Besides, we got to dance together, which I doubt my mother would have approved of on Olympus."

"You're probably right; you always are."

"Not always," she muttered bitterly.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time. I don't call you Wise Girl for nothing, do I?"

She looked up at him, eyes shining and a wry smile tracing its way across her lips. "As much as I love you for it, you have too much faith in me."

"Is that a bad thing?" he questioned, bewildered.

"Not at all," she whispered, and then kissed him. Since they were still pretty much the same height, there was none of the standard clumsiness. It was wonderful, simple, and perfect, in Percy's opinion. Grinning, he kissed her back, the music continuing all around them.


	12. Twelve lords a-leaping

_****_**Last chapter - I tried to make it good! Hope you all like it :) It ties in with chapter 6! Thanks for all the favorites, reviews, and followers (stalkers). Each and every one of them made me smile and feel awesome. Thanks for taking the time to read the story in all its OOCness, length, et cetera. You people are awesome! Enjoy the fluff of this last one. **

**Disclaimer: I didn't get the rights of PJO or HoO or Christmas, so sadly I own nothing.  
**

**Note: This last chapter is dedicated to my family and the 12 Days of Christmas book that I own.  
**

**Note: Look up Akaios' meaning and who he was in mythology if you want to understand the joke there.  
**

* * *

_**On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Twelve lords a-leaping.**_

* * *

**Percy**

"Daddy, Daddy!" Cordelia giggled, running up and hugging him around the waist. Aubrey wasn't far behind, toting both her and her sister's backpacks.

"Hi there, 'Lia," Percy grinned, sweeping her up into his arms. "Come here 'Bre, what do you have there?"

His daughter had two tiny backpacks slung over her shoulders, a lunchbox in one hand, and a book in the other. It was their last day before holiday break, so Percy had no idea why the teacher would send them home with a reading assignment.

"I got a book! My teacher let me borrow it because I wanted you to read it to me," she said, as he picked her up as well.

The girls were in first grade, and although they could read to themselves perfectly fine, they always wanted him to read to them instead. Being such a softie, he always complied, even though he could barely make it through the words.

"Let me see that book of yours," he said as they walked back towards their house. Between his and Annabeth's jobs, they had managed to save up enough money to buy a real house closer to Camp. It was much more suitable for their family of five – two stories tall with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a tiny but useful yard. It was also only half a mile from the elementary school, and only a few miles from their jobs.

Beaming, Audrey held up a thin book titled "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The cover portrayed two brown bears dancing with a fancy winter scene in the background.

"Ooh, did Mr. Cameron read that to your class today?" he inquired.

"Uh huh! It was silly! The boy got the girl a whole bunch of birdies and there were twelve days of Christmas instead of just one!"

Percy remembered the story. His mother used to read it to him a lot when he was really little, and it was one of the first books on the road leading to his dyslexia diagnostic. The part that he never understood was the end. What was a lord? He had always thought of them being associated with kings and queens, kind of like advisors, but then why would there be twelve, and why would they leap? The book portrayed them as frogs hopping around the yard, but why would any kind want frogs in his castle? Then there was the raccoon, always trying to steal food from Mr. and Mrs. Bear's garbage can. That had never made sense to him either. After all, why could the raccoon just go in and ask for some food, and why would he want stinky garbage?

"So Mommy is going to read this to you tonight, right?" he joked. The girls never let Annabeth read to them. Nighttime stories were Daddy-Daughter bonding time, just like the walk home from school, which happened to fall during Percy's hour-long lunch break. Akaios, the only boy child in their family, was still in half-day preschool, so Annabeth wasn't back at work yet, and the kids got 'Mommy time' practically all day.

Aubrey made a face, and her sister squirmed next to her. "No Daddy, you read to us!" she squealed.

"But Lia, Mommy reads better than Daddy, remember?" he said, trying in vain to dissuade them

"Daddy, you're funnier when you read! Even Kai says so and he's little," Cordelia reasoned, her lower lip jutting out stubbornly.

Percy tickled her lightly on the tummy, "I'm not funny, silly!"

"Yes you are!" she gasped in between giggles. The second he stopped tickling her, she wormed out of his grasp and ran to stand five feet away. Aubrey pulled away as well, dropping the lunchbox following her twin's lead. Even from such a small distance, it was impossible for Percy to tell them apart aside from their clothes. Closer up, he would see the little scar on Cordelia's fore head where she had hit a door when she was just learning to run, or notice the flecks of green dotting Aubrey's grey eyes. Now all he had to judge on was Bre's purple dress versus Lia's black jeans and blue sparkly shirt.

"Come on you two, Daddy has to go back to work soon so we have to hurry, okay?" he said, picking up Aubrey's lunchbox.

"Yes Daddy," they chorused, holding out their hands for him to hold. Grinning, he took them and they walked on in silence.

When they got into the house, a sweet smell greeted them, along with voices from the kitchen.

"Mommy!" the twins called, dropping their coats and backpacks and running to the kitchen. Percy scooped up the forgotten possessions and followed.

The kitchen was an organized mess, with cooking gadgets and ingredients littering the counter space and cookie sheets on the stove cookie sheets on the stove. Annabeth was helping Akaios stir something in a large blue bowl. There were two other people in the room too, whom the twins were hugging fiercely.

"Hey Mom, hi Paul," Percy said, grinning as the girls pulled away.

"Hi sweetie! How are you?" his mother greeted, hugging him.

"I'm pretty good; I just have to go back to work soon."

"Gosh, that's weird to hear you say. I'm still not used to you being all grown up."

He laughed, "Me either. Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you guys here? I thought you weren't coming until Sunday, for Christmas Eve."

"We wanted to surprise you, so we called Annabeth last night and she said to come today," Paul said, grinning.

"Well, it worked, I'm surprised," he said. "Please tell me that you're helping Annabeth and Kai with those cookies though. Otherwise they won't be nearly as good as yours, Mom."

"Don't worry, I kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't add too much sugar again," his mom winked.

Annabeth grumbled something, a wry smile forming on her face. Kai looked up and smiled.

"Daddy! Hi Daddy! We're making cookies, and grandma said they're gonna be nummy this time because she has the magic cookie touch," he said, showing Percy the spoon.

"Wow Kai, I think grandma's right! It looks great," Percy said, ruffling his son's hair.

The little boy giggled, then went back to stirring while Percy kissed Annabeth on the forehead. "Aubrey got a book today at school, you'll have to read it to them later, Wise Girl," he whispered.

"You know they won't want me to," she said back. "Why can't you? It's their special time to spend with you – reading."

"I know," he replied, "but someone has to go out and get their Christmas presents without them knowing, and they'd notice if you left. With me, you can just say that I had a horsie who took a little extra time to fix."

"I suppose," she muttered. "What book is it?"

"The Twelve Days of Christmas. Just be sure to tell them what a leaping lord is, okay? And explain the raccoon. It's confusing, otherwise."

She laughed, "Only you, Seaweed Brain, only you."

He grinned, "Yep. Well, I better go back to work now. See you tonight, Annabeth."

"Bye Perce," she chuckled. Grinning, he said goodbye to his parents and children, handed Aubrey her book, and then shrugged on his coat. Christmas had always been a good holiday for him, but now it was even better, spending it with his family.


End file.
